South Africa: Mpuma teachers to get laptops

Mbombela – Mpumalanga teachers will be given laptops as part of a national effort to bring all public schools into the digital age.

The Mpumalanga Department of Education will hand over 28,231 laptops later this month as part of the National Teachers Laptop Initiative that was launched on July 15.

“The rollout process was preceded by months of intense deliberations and careful planning at national level to finally arrive at this moment, where ICT integration in public schools across the country, becomes a reality,” said provincial education spokesman Jasper Zwane on Friday.

The laptops will not be given to the teacher free of charge, however.

Zwane said qualifying teachers will receive a monthly taxable allowance of R130 and will be required to pay in the difference.

“Most of the packages…cost between R250 and R390 per month,” said Zwane.
He said the repayments are spread over a period of five years.

Education MEC Reginah Mhaule will hand over the laptops on August 24 at Sitintile Secondary School in KaNyamazane.

The laptops will be loaded with school administration, national curriculum and other software. They will also have Internet connectivity and be covered by insurance.

Zwane said the teachers will be trained to use the laptops, surf the internet and send emails.